Bilateral tinnitus is a medical condition that presents as sound in both ears without any external stimuli. Bilateral tinnitus comes from Latin terms meaning two-side ringing. However, tinnitus of the ears is not only ringing; it can be a variety of other noises that come from internal sources. Bilateral tinnitus is a fairly common medical problem and is often fairly easy to treat.
Identification
Tinnitus sounds like a ringing, buzzing, thumping, roaring or clicking in the ears. Bilateral tinnitus occurs when these symptoms are present on both sides. The volume varies from person to person and may even vary by time of day.
Features
Bilateral tinnitus is likely to be less serious than unilateral tinnitus. Causes of bilateral tinnitus include loud noises and aspirin toxicity, while unilateral tinnitus could indicate an aneurysm or tumor.
Types
There are two types of tinnitus: objective tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus indicates that the doctor can hear the clicking or other noise with the stethoscope. This indicates a structural problem, a foreign object in the ear or fluid in the ear. The doctor cannot hear anything through the stethoscope or other diagnostic tools when the patient has subjective tinnitus.
Frequency
Roughly 40 million people in the United States suffer from tinnitus. Ten million of these cases are severe tinnitus. Bilateral tinnitus makes up a large number of these cases, since it is far more frequent than unilateral tinnitus. Tinnitus is most common in the 40 to 70 year old age group. It is more common in men than women.
Prevention/Solution
Tinnitus is very common in individuals who have exposure to loud noises on a regular basis. To lower that risk, individuals around loud noises should wear protective ear equipment to reduce the noise exposure to their ears. With objective tinnitus, the treatment is fairly straightforward. The doctor works to remove the foreign object, lower the fluid level or correct the structural problems. Subjective tinnitus is extremely hard to treat. Some treatment options include masking, restraining and electrical stimulation.
Considerations
Bilateral tinnitus can make life miserable. The loud noises occur constantly and interfere with a person's hearing in general by muffling outside noises. Tinnitus is not just annoying; it affects quality of life as well. Severe tinnitus interferes with work, sleep and hearing.
Warning
Although bilateral tinnitus is not likely to be due to serious underlying health problems, it warrants a trip to the doctor. In rare cases, it can be a serious and life-threatening problem that presents first as bilateral tinnitus.
Tags: Bilateral tinnitus, loud noises, Bilateral tinnitus, unilateral tinnitus, bilateral tinnitus, foreign object
